


[Oldfic] Poor Unfortunate Reim

by TheFanficMaster



Series: Old fanfics [29]
Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 06:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8045110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFanficMaster/pseuds/TheFanficMaster
Summary: [Oldfic] Reim's feelings for Break have been discovered! Chaos ensues.





	[Oldfic] Poor Unfortunate Reim

Reim Lunettes…was _not_ having a good day.

He sighed in exasperation, trying not to think about all the work he still had yet to accomplish: normally, he would be finished and relaxing in the library, but of course, since Break's…blindness, Reim had taken on almost all of his work.

Several years before, when Break had just materialized out of the gate, if anyone had told Reim that he'd be doting on the mysterious, bloody stranger he'd probably have scoffed. But obviously, destiny had other plans.

_'Stupid Xerx, always making me worry about him…'_

Because Reim had learned over the years that whenever Xerxes Break told you _not_ to worry, then it meant you really needed to worry, and worrying over the frail albino is certainly what Reim did best…something that often tended to get him into trouble with his illusion-loving master.

As it was, he'd been given another lecture early that morning from Rufus Barma and had even received a few slaps from his signature fan. It had _hurt,_ a lot in fact. But Reim refused to give Rufus Barma any new information on Break's condition.

Reim was currently on his way to have tea with Oz, Sharon, Gilbert, and Alice. He wasn't exactly sure why they'd invited him, but he didn't want to turn the invitation down out of fear—an angry Sharon was probably the scariest thing Reim had ever seen.

However, when he opened up the door to the room where he was supposed to meet them, he was unprepared for the weight that suddenly crashed into him and sent him sprawling onto the floor.

He groaned as his head was slammed into the wood floor beneath him, aggravating his head wound from earlier that morning. Luckily, it didn't start to bleed again, and Reim cautiously opened his eyes to find Oz sitting atop his chest, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Reim-san? Why do you have a picture of Break in your coat?"

Reim froze in shock and horror, a large blush coating his face as Oz carefully handled a small picture between his fingers, staring at it with an intense look of interest. Oh yes, Reim knew too well what was on that picture.

The picture had been taken a long time ago, not too long after Break had first begun to open up to all of them from the angry, violent man he'd been since they found him. His eye wound had yet to heal, so there was still bandages wrapped around his face as he stared at the camera with a small solemn smile.

Reim wasn't a fool: he knew why he still kept that picture. It was because Break's smile, that small, heart-breaking smile, left his heart aching with the need to reach out, to hold him, to cherish his friend so very much. And it was these feelings that Xerxes Break was oblivious to, even to that very day: he wasn't even aware that Reim carried a picture of him around in his uniform pocket each day.

"R-Reim-san?"

"U-Uh, Oz-sama, that's…" Reim's blush didn't tune down any as he slowly sat up, dislodging Oz from his chest, and gently took the picture back. He stared at it for a moment, unaware that a small, sad smile had melted onto his face. _'Xerx…'_

"Reim-san?" Reim blinked and refocused his thoughts to the present, where a hand was extended toward him. He glanced upward to where Gilbert was standing, motioning for him to take the hand offered to him. Reim stuttered a bit and took it, immediately fixing his glasses when he was upright again.

"Thank you, Gilbert-sama."

"Anyway…you never answered my question, Reim-san!" Oz smirked as he yanked poor, unfortunate Reim into the room, where Sharon was waiting on one of the couches with a knowing smile, while Alice devoured hefty amounts of meat on the couch across from her. "Why _do_ you carry around a picture of Break in your coat? Most friends don't do that, you know!"

"U-Um…Oz-sama, that's…!"

"A secret? But come on, I want to know!" Oz pushed Reim down on the couch next to Sharon and took a seat next to Alice, still grinning mischievously. Gilbert sighed and sat down next to him, halfheartedly glaring at Alice, who was making obnoxious consumption noises.

"That's right, Reim-san…I am rather curious as well. Can I see that picture, please?"

Reim hesitantly handed her the picture, knowing that he'd sealed his doom by doing so, but also knowing that it would mean certain death to disobey Ms. Sharon Rainsworth.

"Hm…Oh, I remember this…it's when…" She trailed off then, looking unsure whether or not she should continue, so Reim sighed heavily and sealed his fate by finishing for her.

"Yes…it's when he first learned to smile again."

The silence that followed was almost deafening and Reim could feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Damn it Xerxes Break, it was all his fault that he was in this mess in the first place! If only his smiles—his _true_ smiles—weren't the most breathtaking thing Reim had ever witnessed.

"Oh, I get it! Reim-san, you're in love with Break, aren't you?"

Reim choked and nearly spit out his tea, coughing a few more times than necessary as he tried to come up with a reasonable answer to Oz's question. Oh yes, he was very much in love with Xerxes Break. But it wasn't exactly something that he wanted everyone to know!

"Oz-sama…that's…" One knowing look from Sharon, and his confidence dwindled, and he could no longer deny the accusation. "I…suppose that's true."

"Wait a second…you _love_ Break? Are you crazy?" Gilbert looked as if he'd bitten into a bad apple and for a second, Reim felt mildly annoyed, but didn't have time to react as Oz suddenly elbowed Gilbert in the side, causing a loud groan of distress.

"O-Ow, _Oz!"_

"Shut up, Gil! Can't you see you just hurt Reim-san's feelings?"

"Oz-sama…that's quite unnecessary, really…"

"Hm?" All squabbling ceased instantly, and all eyes turned to Reim, who felt as if his face was going to burn off, but he didn't stop…he _couldn't_ stop.

"I know I shouldn't, I do know that. But…you don't…know him like I do. You didn't see him back then…see how angry and frightening he was, how _broken_ he was. You've never…seen him smile at you like that, or seen him fussing over his hair in the morning, or any of those things he doesn't let you all see…"

He swallowed nervously, already knowing that he's given away too much: Xerxes would certainly be angry with him if he revealed any more…because by saying these things, he was revealing that above all…Xerxes Break was _human._

"My, my Reim-san, you do seem to love Xerxes-ni very much."

Reim cleared his throat with embarrassment and turned to look in the opposite direction, anything so that he didn't have to look at them. "Well…it's not as if it's something one can control…"

"So, have you told him yet?"

Reim's hands froze from where he'd begun adjusting his glasses, and an uncharacteristic shadow fell across his face. Oz, who'd asked the completely innocent question, blinked in shock. "Reim-san…?"

"No…and I never will."

"B-But, that's—!"

"Xerx already has too much to worry about without adding my unrequited feelings to it all. It would be cruel and selfish of me to push them on him like that."

"Reim-san…"

"You say that, Reim-san, but I think a workplace romance is something that Break could really use right now!" Suddenly, Sharon was in front of him, a determined expression on her face.

"B-But Sharon-sama…!"

"No buts! You need to tell him, Reim-san! After all, it _is_ very obvious! I'm sure he's noticed somewhere down the line that you care just a little too much!"

"But, that's really not necessary…!"

"Oujo-sama, are you forcing poor Reim-san to do your bidding again? Honestly…"

"Break! Good morning!"

Reim used the distraction to slip away from Sharon…and promptly began fussing over Xerxes. "Xerxes, what are you doing out of bed? I told you to tell me if you needed anything!"

Break, who was wearing his Pandora uniform instead of his standard coat, scoffed at his angry friend, who was seething at his side. "Honestly, Reim-san…you're like my mother hen, fussing over me all the time!"

_"What did you just call me?"_

"Oh dear…did I make you angry? I'm so very sorry…"

"Xerxes Break!"

Alice, who'd been watching everything silently so far, dimly recalled something similar in one of Sharon's novels: the two people had been arguing and in order to quell the argument…

Oz blinked in surprise when Alice suddenly stood up and began to walk over to Reim and Break, and neither of which noticed her advance. "Alice?"

Suddenly, Alice was behind Reim, a large vein appearing on her forehead. "Honestly, you two make me sick! I'm trying to eat here…so just shut up!" And she promptly shoved Reim, who didn't have to time to react as he crashed into Break, who also was caught by surprise, and sent them both tumbling to the floor.

Sharon giggled lightly and covered her mouth with her hand to hide it, a small blush appearing on her face. Oz and Gilbert merely looked shocked, unable to say anything due to surprise.

Reim groaned with the pain for the third time that day (why must everyone _insist_ on abusing his poor head?) and slowly picked himself up off the…warm…floor…

His eyes widened. That…wasn't the floor.

To Reim's surprise, Xerxes Break actually looked as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him. His eye was closed and he was breathing heavily, a small amount of perspiration on his face. His hair was splayed out around him and Reim's breath caught in his throat.

Oh hell…he was just so…

Wait, he was… _breathing heavily?_

"I-I'm sorry! Are you okay, Xerxes?" Reim immediately scrambled off of the other man, suddenly aware that he'd been sprawled across Break's chest, quite possibly making it even _more_ difficult for the sick man to breathe.

Suddenly, the man beneath him blinked and stared up at him with one unseeing red eye and Reim suddenly felt guilty—so very guilty.

Carefully, he helped Break off the floor, although the man was protesting the whole time, and dragged him out of the room, ranting about putting him back to bed.

"You shouldn't be up in the first place! You're still not well and _do not deny it Xerxes Break,_ I will not believe you."

"Heh, you never change, Reim-san."

Reim bit back a retort and continued dragging his friend down the hallway, resisting the urge to lace their fingers together, knowing that Break wasn't _that_ stupid and would obviously understand…

"Xerxes, how much did you hear? And do you have a fever? I can't recall the last time I've seen you use a door on your own…"

Break chuckled, easily keeping up with Reim, despite still feeling slightly ill. "Not much—I just walked in on Oujo-sama mishandling you…and Reim-san, I'm hurt…I can use a door too you know."

"I know you can, but you _don't,_ and that's what worries me."

"You worry too much, Reim-san!"

"I can't help it! You drive me crazy and do stupid things that make me worry about you all the damn time! Why can't you just take care of yourself for once?"

"But you like looking after me, don't you Reim-san?"

Reim halted from where he'd been about to open the door to Break's room, suddenly all too aware of how warm Break's hand was against his. It felt…unnatural. "Xerxes, are you all right?"

"Hm…why do you ask?"

Wait, was that a _slur?_ Reim turned around and pressed the back of his hand to Break's forehead, horror creeping onto his face.

"Oh lord, you're burning up! What the hell were you doing walking around?"

"Hm…can't sit around…too much to do…"

Reim practically slammed open the door and pulled Break inside it, closing the door behind him. To his surprise, Break actually fumbled when Reim let go of his hand and crashed into Reim's side, hands fumbling for something to hold on to. He quickly steadied the other man, noticing a growing red hue on his face…oh yes, Xerxes Break definitely had a fever.

"Do you think you can change yourself? I'll go get you some medicine…"

"Hm…of course, Reim- _san!"_

Reim didn't like that slur, he contemplated as he dashed down the hallway in search of the nurse's quarters. It sounded too much like Break was drunk, and Reim knew that wasn't possible: Xerxes Break couldn't get drunk, no matter how much he _wanted_ to. Or at least, he was highly tolerable of alcohol and had never reached his limits. But Reim didn't want to think about that, because it meant that another barrier of Break's was breaking, and he didn't want to see that happen.

When Reim returned with the medicine, he knocked lightly on the door, confused when he received no answer. "Xerxes? I have the medicine." Slowly, he opened the door, a blush creeping on his face when he found Break lying on his back on the bed, his pajama shirt unbuttoned and sprawled out across the sheets. Luckily, he had his pants on properly, or Reim probably would've had a heart attack.

He quickly shut and locked the door, remembering the seal, and how other people couldn't see Break's chest.

"Reim-san? Do we have any soup in the kitchen?"

Reim, who was preparing the medicine at Break's bedside, glanced up in curiosity. "I think so…why?"

"I feel…really sick to the stomach…but I'm hungry, which is why I went to have tea with all of you."

Oh, that explained it. Reim sighed heavily and finished up the medicine. "Idiot, you'd probably have puked everywhere and then I'd have to clean it up. I think you should sleep it off before you eat anything: this medicine will help. Can you sit up on your own?"

"Of course…"

While Break was struggling to sit up, Reim prepared him a glass of water in the bathroom and returned in time to see Break finally sitting up, leaving back heavily against the headboard. He was obviously perspirating now, and Reim knew, without a doubt, that his fever was getting worse.

"Here, take this." He held Break's hands to steady them as Break lifted the medicine to his lips and drank, wincing from the feeling of it hitting his stomach. He managed to drink a fourth of the water before shuddering and lying back down, groaning lightly as his head hit the pillow.

He was asleep within moments and Reim couldn't help but stay for a few minutes, watching the older man's chest as it rose and fell, as if to reassure himself that it was still moving.

Scoffing at his bizarre behavior, Reim abruptly left, leaving a small note to Xerxes on his bedside table:

_Have one of the maids get me if you need anything._

… _Feel better._

_Reim_

…

The next few days seemed to go by agonizingly slow for Reim. Between dealing with Oz-sama and company trying to get him to confess his feelings, and Break's feverish hallucinations ("Reim-san, is that a cake on your head?" "…"), Reim certainly wanted to scream his lungs out, cry, and throw a tantrum…all at once.

Currently, Reim was resting at Break's bedside, listening to the man mumble barely coherent words under his breath in his sleep. He listened intently, not exactly sure what he was hoping to learn by doing so. Once he began to make out the words, his heart froze with worry and fear.

"Abyss…need…back…Emily…Sinclair…seal…Shelly-sama…m emories…Alice…"

Obviously, the man wasn't having very good dreams. However, it seemed that his fever was finally beginning to quell, and Reim couldn't have been more relieved when Xerxes Break suddenly bolted upright in his bed and clutched at the eye that was no longer there.

Reim blinked in surprise, which quickly turned to panic when Break started to scratch at it, much like he used to. It was déjà vu at its best when Reim moved to stop him, only to be thrown to the ground when Break turned abruptly, an agonized look on his face.

"Don't touch me!"

Reim stared at him, not bothering to move off the floor. He watched as awareness slowly returned to Break's unseeing eye, as the shakiness and temporary insanity slowly began to die down.

"Reim…san?"

Reim sighed and picked himself up off the floor, trying not to think of all the bruises he'd discover on his back in the morning. "Yes, I assume that you're feeling better if you can throw me that hard."

Break's eye widened, but he didn't say anything as Reim began fussing over him, checking his forehead for any leftover signs of fever, checking his empty eye socket to make sure that Break hadn't re-opened the old, tender wound, which he had a tendency to do every now and again, and check his heart beat, to make sure that it wasn't fluttering on the verge of death. The last check up was merely for his own benefit: he needed to hear it beating, to know that it was still there.

But it was irregular, which reminded Reim of how little time Xerxes Break really had left.

"Reim-san, I'm hungry!"

"Go get it yourself: you're not sick anymore, so I don't have to feed you." Reim's cheeks colored a bright red as the memories passed through his mind. Memories of holding Break's pale, feverish cheeks and gently pressing the forks and spoons between his lips, running his fingertips down to his throat to make sure he was swallowing properly…

He shook his head to rid himself of the memories, feeling the blush grow hotter. He unconsciously shivered when he suddenly felt soft, nimble fingers tracing the redness on his face.

"X-Xerxes Break!"

"Ne, Reim-san is all cherry red! Is he having naughty thoughts about me?"

Break, being blind, was unable to avoid Emily being promptly thrown at his face.

"Ouch, that hurt, Reim-san! And you shouldn't abuse Emily so!"

"JUST SHUT UP, XERXES."

And thus, everything was back to normal.

…

Normal, that is…until he received an order from Lady Sharon a few days later.

"W-What? Why do I have to go with him to buy his candy?" Reim stuttered, annoyed at Sharon's obvious matchmaking attempts. Honestly, why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"Oh Break, guess what? Reim-san volunteered to go with you to the candy store today!"

Thus, a poor horrified Reim was dragged into town to Break's favorite candy shop, protesting loudly the whole way, and only finally resigning to his fate when the carriage parked directly outside the shop.

Break leapt out of the carriage merrily, while Reim tried to follow as closely as possible without looking flustered or undignified.

And then he realized quickly why he needed to be escorted for his shopping.

"No, Xerx, that's the wrong way: the ones you want are over here."

So Reim half-dragged the embarrassed (although he did his best not to show it) man to the other end of the shop, where what he knew to be Break's favorite candies were sold. They were given in bags of fifty each, but with Break's daily consumption, they had to buy at least five bags a week.

Luckily, Sharon had given him the money to pay for them all, because Reim definitely couldn't afford even one bag on his own.

While they were walking back to the other end of the shop, Reim decided to grab something for himself: he wasn't necessarily a sweet fan, but he did like chocolate.

Once they were in the carriage on the way home, Break, who was eating a handful of the candies they'd just purchased, leaned forward with curiosity on his face. "Reim-san, what did you buy?"

"Chocolate," Was his automatic reply. Afterward, he dug one of the circular milk chocolate treats out of the bag in his pocket and popped it into his mouth, sucking on it for a few moments before biting into the wafer in the middle.

"Can I try one?"

"You've got your own candy. Leave me alone."

"You're so stingy, Reim-san!"

"Only when it comes to a glutton like you."

Reim only had the time to pop another one of the treats in his mouth before Xerxes Break was practically in his lap, his eye glowing with something that made Reim's stomach shiver.

"W-What? Get off me!"

"No."

Reim was too shocked to respond, but he wouldn't have been able to anyway, as Break suddenly took advantage of Reim's slightly open mouth and moved closer to dip his tongue inside, pulling the stiff body of his friend closer.

Reim blinked once…twice…and then his eye widened in shock and disbelief. He gasped and tried to shove the other man off of him, but this only succeeded in encouraging him, as he tangled his hands in Reim's hair and deepened the kiss further.

Reim's heart was pounding as he finally let his eyes close. _'Xerx…'_

But then he pulled back, and it took Reim a few moments to realize that a certain sweet was missing from his mouth.

"Y-You dirty—" The pleasurable feelings quickly leaving, Reim kicked Break off of him angrily and turned to face the window, slightly pouting.

"Aw, Reim-san…but you were just so cute!"

"How would you know that if you can't see?"

"Because you're always so cute!"

Reim didn't need a mirror to know he was blushing again. "You shouldn't mess with people's feelings like that, Xerxes Break?"

"And who said I was doing such a thing?"

Reim turned to face him, retort already on his lips, but halted when he recognized the serious expression on Break's face.

"Xerxes?"

"I'm not a fool, Reim-san…and you're not very good at hiding your feelings…and Oz-kun told me you carry a picture of me around in your pocket."

His eyes widened once more, horror-slowing taking over.

Oz…was going to _die._

Just then, they arrived back at the Rainsworth mansion. Reim was about to storm away to his own room, when Break grabbed his hand and began leading him in a different direction.

"H-Hey!"

"Now, now, if you keep frowning all the time, your face will lose its handsome shine!"

Reim sighed heavily in defeat and resigned himself to his fate.

The universe was trying to kill him, after all.

…

To Reim's surprise, the room Break led him to was one of the private tea rooms on the second floor, which wasn't usually occupied. Suddenly, Reim had a feeling that Break used this room very often.

"Let's have tea together, Reim-san!"

"F-Fine…"

It was silent at first besides the sounds of them sipping their tea, and the occasionally crunch of a hard candy. But then, Break put down his teacup and leaned his elbows on the table, situating his face in his hands.

"You know, there isn't much I'd be able to offer you…being with someone like me…"

"H-Huh?"

Break's smile was solemn, an expression that Reim was seeing more and more often on Xerxes Break's face nowadays. "I won't be around for very long and someone like me doesn't deserve someone like you to fuss over them, Reim-san."

"D-Deserve…YOU'RE AN IDIOT, XERXES BREAK!"

To his credit, Break barely jumped when Reim smashed the teacup down on the table, followed by his hands moments later.

"It's not about deserving anything! My love cannot be bought by such daft means!"

Break, instead of being shocked, merely threw back his head and laughed gently. Reim, who was already annoyed, became even more irritated.

"What the hell are you laughing about, Xerxes Break?"

"You said it. I got you to say the word."

"…You really are an idiot, Xerx."

Reim sunk back down in his chair, defeated. "Why you…of all people…why did it have to be you?"

"Because you're you…and I'm me."

"You're not making any sense, as usual."

"Hehe, you youngsters…what would happen to your poor brains if I didn't force you to think every once in a while?"

"I'm not a youngster…" Reim mumbled, his annoyance slowly crumbling away. Especially when Break leaned forward and left a small kiss on his lips and nose.

"Thank you…Reim."

Reim blushed a bit at the dropped honorific, but merely nodded as he stood up to leave.

"I'll always be by your side, until the very end."

After the door closed, Break still sat blindly staring at the door, a small smile on his face.

"I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you, Reim, but thank you."

Neither knew that Reim's promise was about to come to an abrupt end because of the girl Lily Baskerville.

But they were able to enjoy a few days together and Break knew that the time he'd get to join him wasn't too far off.

He'd never looked forward to his death more than he did then.


End file.
